Over the NeXus
by Hiyuusha
Summary: Crash Town. A simple town with simple rules. A town where only the strongest survives. But within it's Dyne-filled wasteland, a young man dreams of something more. When opportunity presents itself in the form of his father's Duel Runner, will Yukichi "Yuki" Kaito be able to stand up to his friend's expectations, or will he fall beneath the pressure of an old promise? Over the Nexus
1. Chapter One: Prologue

Neo Domino City.

What wonders and dreams could one find within?

With towering skyscrapers of grand design, its infrastructure stood tall over the remnants of the old Domino City, a place now known to others as only a single word…

Satellite.

Far be it for those within Neo Domino's golden gates to concern themselves with the worries of the less fortunate. Far be it for them to care about what happened beyond the city's brilliant borders. They too, had their own concerns in this world, and oh what concerns they were!

How could they bring themselves to care about the little people, when there were Duelists and Card Games to be fought?

How could they care about what happened beyond their sight, when there were Duel Runners to build and Turbo Duels to engage in?

Indeed, Neo Domino City had its own concerns, but our story does not begin within its walls. Not yet.

Instead, to find a beginning to this tale we must turn our sights toward the borders of Satellite, where a simple, outlandish town stood.

It was a small town, complete with simple folk who liked nothing more than to get up in each other's business. The odor of Dyne – a simple material out of which Duel Runners were born – and smoke filled the air, and if you weren't used to the sensation, it could do more than override your senses of taste and smell.

The buildings were worn and broken down, but not so much that they could not be used. Oh no, in order to keep the Town running, the buildings had to be maintained of course, and for that reason, the town relied heavily on the money brought in through its mining business.

But it is not for that reason that we set our sights upon this simple town, but rather, the fact that it is here were our hero is born, and here, were our story begins.

The name of this oh-so simple town filled with oh-so simple folk?

Crash Town.

* * *

**Yu-Gi-Oh: Over the NeXus**

* * *

**Prologue**

* * *

It began with a dream.

The cries of many could be heard echoing throughout the grandest of arenas, each crying out a single word. Below their many shouts and cheers, twin Duel Runners sped through the arena, circling each other swiftly as both vied for the leading position.

The Duelists aboard the two runners glared at each other beneath their visors, several cards gripped tightly within their free hands.

Duel Monster cards.

It didn't take a genius to realize that a Turbo Duel was in session.

"_Would you look at them go?!"_ the MC's loud, boisterous voice roared throughout the ring, _"These two competitors haven't been giving each other a single shred of mercy! With this Duel so close, it's anyone's game folks! Which of our two Turbo Duelists will take the leap of faith needed to pull off an astounding victory?!"_

His words died out as one of the two Duelists pulled ahead, drawing a card before glancing back at their opponent fiercely.

"It's my move, Toru!" the Duelist shouted, his voice carrying through the wind toward his eager opponent, "And I'll start it off by activating my Trap Card, Call of the Haunted! Now I can Special Summon one monster from my Graveyard in Attack Position, and I know just which one to grab!"

The Duelist reached within his Graveyard section, withdrawing a single card before thrusting it into the Monster Zone forcefully.

"Flamvell Guard, in Attack Mode!"

The tiny dragon appeared in a burst of flame, its defensive capabilities not put to use as it flapped its wings tiredly above its Summoner's Duel Runner.

**Flamvell Guard – LV4 – (100/2000)**

"_Oh my! What a turn of events!"_ the MC roared from above, _"Flamvell Guard in Attack Position?! Just what is our Duelist planning?!"_

"I don't need to plan anything!" he answered, thrusting his arm forward with all his might, "Because with this Attack, it's over! Flamvell Guard, finish him off with your Inferno Wing!"

The small dragon chirped before flashing forward, its body covered searing flames as it tackled the opponent's Duel Runner with all its might. Despite having a measly hundred Attack Points, its power was _just_ enough to bring its foe to a devastating zero.

**Mystery Duelist – 100 LP**

**Toru – 0 LP**

The victim of the childish attack – a blonde haired Duelist by the name of Toru – cursed as his Duel Runner shorted out from the blow, his acceleration coming to a grinding halt as his attacker continued onward for a victory lap.

"_And there it is Ladies and Gentlemen!"_ the MC's voice continued to echo around the arena, _"You have seen it for yourselves, the making of a new, improved Champion, who stormed the ranks after a surprising entry from the far-off Crash Town! Let us all cheer and cry for our new hero!"_

The Duelist pulled to an abrupt stop, smoke grinding from the wheels of his Duel Runner as he removed his helmet to reveal a mop of spiky red hair.

He grinned victoriously before thrusting a fist into the sky.

"Yuki!"

"Yuki!"

"Yuki!"

The cheers of the audience overtook him completely, and he soaked it up as well as he could. Even so, he couldn't help but feel as if he were forgetting something, something important…

"Yuki!"

"Yuki!"

"Yuki!"

Oh, he thought, a subtle frown coming across his face.

That's right, how could he have forgotten?

"Yuki!"

"Yuki!"

"Yuki!"

He was still asleep.

"YO YUKI!"

_**THUMP**_

A loud shout echoed throughout the small room, the redhead falling from his bed with a loud cry as a young, boisterous young man blinked at him from above.

"W-What the hell?! What's going on here?!" the boy shrieked, reeling back in surprise and horror as the blonde-haired intruder frowned.

"Uh, Yuki, are you all right? You're kind of freaking out over here… Oh! I know what the problem is, you don't have your glasses on, right?"

"Huh…?" Yuki blinked, squinting his eyes in confusion.

He knew that voice. That carefree way of speaking… there was only one person he knew who talked like that. And his name was…

"Toru…?" Yuki asked warily, reaching for the counter beside him to grab his neatly placed glasses, "Is that you?"

"Heh, the one and only!" the blonde-haired man grinned eagerly, thumping his chest as he stared down at the boy before him, "Come on! Don't tell me you're still drowsy! You're a young adult! We should parading through town at this hour, not sleeping soundly in our beds!"

"Ugh… easy for you to say." Yuki deadpanned, "What're you doing here anyway? It's like…" he paused, glancing at his alarm clock, "Two in the morning?! What the hell Toru?!"

Toru smiled sheepishly, having the decency to look ashamed at his unauthorized entry into his "best bud's" house.

"Sorry, sorry," he apologized, "but this really couldn't wait! Hurry up and get dressed would ya? I have something to show you outside!"

"Outside? I hope it's worth it." Yuki grumbled.

"Oh don't worry about that." Toru assured him, "This is probably gonna be the best thing you'll see in Crash Town for a while. I'll be waiting for you outside, so take your time," he paused, "but not… _too_ long alright? I mean, I still have stuff to do today."

"It's two in the morning." Yuki grumbled, "I'm sure that no matter how long I take you'll be fine on time."

"Heh, I guess you're right about that." Toru smirked, "Anyway, I'll go ahead and step out, so just get dressed would ya?"

He turned to leave, closing the door shut behind him to leave Yuki alone in the room. Yawning, the boy in question steadily rose from his place on the floor, stumbling across the bland, one-bed room toward the table where many of his trinkets and hobbies lay sprawled out in a sloppy fashion.

"Ngh… stupid Toru…" the boy grumbled, "Waking me up at two in the morning…."

Yuki moved to the sink, removing his glasses for several seconds to splash some nice, clean water across his face. He found the cool sensation of the miraculous liquid did wonders in waking him up, and oftentimes assisted in cleaning the dirt and soot of a day's hard work as well.

He yawned once more as he ran a dry rag over his features, quickly setting the lenses back across his face to provide good eyesight.

He glanced toward the mirror.

Good, he looked presentable, or as well as he could be, at such an early time in the morning.

He glanced around the room. Hell, his old, weary grandfather, an aged man by the name of Klaus, hadn't even come home yet, though that was to be expected. The man worked the mines nearly all day, and typically didn't find his way home until four or five!

Well, at least he wouldn't have to hear the old man's snores for once. _That _could get old pretty quickly.

Slinging his forty-card Deck into a slender brown holster, Yuki grabbed his Duel Disk and made to leave. Ordinarily he wouldn't take such things with him at such an early hour, but if there was one thing his grandfather always told him; it was that real Duelists were always ready for a Duel, and given Toru's own hobbies… Yuki wouldn't be surprised if it somehow came down to that.

"Alright, Jacket, Keys… looks like I'm just about ready."

"YUKI!" Toru's impatient yell roared from outside.

"Alright, alright!" the boy complained, "I'm coming, sheesh!"

Despite those words and assurances, it still took him another five minutes to get outside.

-NeXus-

"Alright, I'm here. What's this "big surprise" you've got for me?" Yuki asked tiredly, stepping out toward Crash Town's gates.

"Heh, it's not _for you_," Toru clarified, "it's to _show_ you. There's a difference."

Yuki groaned, waving off the boy's specifics as he shook his head, "Whatever. Just, tell me what's going on already! I'd really like to get back to sleep."

"Heh, you always were the lazy type. Alright then, here it is!" Toru grinned, grasping a fine white cloth hiding an item of far more intricate design, "Behold, my one and only, top-class Duel Runner!"

He tore the cloth away, revealing a golden vehicle of wondrous design.

"A… Duel Runner…?" Yuki asked in shock, and no small degree of surprise. "You mean… after all this time, you finally finished it?!"

"Yeah!" Toru smiled, "Pretty cool huh? I'll admit it was a bit difficult to get some of the parts, but now that I've got all I need… that dream of becoming a Turbo Duelist is close to becoming reality!"

Turbo Duelists.

Those who took to the grandest of stages in Neo Domino. While anyone could become a "Turbo Duelist", becoming a _Pro_ was no easy feat. But if it was Toru…

"Heh, so you'll be leaving then?" Yuki asked.

It had always been his dream, _their _dream. To set out from the cold, dry wastelands of Crash Town and head into the city. They both had dreams of fame and glory, but with Duel Runner materials so scarce around the area, it was no surprise that it'd taken years to even build one.

"It looks good." Yuki said, moving past Toru to examine the Runner affectionately. "These parts are a little beat up, but that can't be helped. Does it run well?"

"Yeah," Toru assured him, "I took it for a test run a few hours back. Kind of surprised I didn't wake anyone up, considering."

"Hmph… so I guess this is it then." Yuki murmured, "With this, you won't need to hang around this place any longer. You're free to head out, and carve your own path to victory."

Toru laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of his head, "Well, I wouldn't say that. Not yet anyway. There's still… one more thing I need to settle before I go."

"Oh really?" Yuki asked, glancing at Toru sarcastically.

He knew what Toru was going to ask. They both did. It was something they'd known would happen eventually. Two Duelist of similar prowess, both caged in an area far beneath their level. It was inevitable that they'd be able to coincide forever, and for that reason, the two had taken to not only being friends, but the upmost of rivals as well.

"So this is what it's come to huh…?" Yuki questioned, "One last contest before you head out?"

"Yeah." Toru smirked, "You know I couldn't just leave things as they were."

"Fifty-three wins and fifty-three losses… You intend to tip the scales in your favor before leaving?" Yuki's lips curled upward slightly, "So that's your reason for waking me up so early. You wanted to catch me off guard huh?"

Toru chuckled, "Heh, a real Duelist-"

"-is always ready for a fight." Yuki quoted, "Yeah, yeah. I don't need you to start acting like Gramps."

He glanced back at the Duel Runner, feelings its broken metal one last time before turning to face Toru fully.

"Alright, I'll take you on!"

"As if there was ever any doubt!" Toru grinned brightly, "But hey, since we're doing this anyway, why don't we go ahead a make things a little more interesting? If I win, I'll take my Duel Runner and head on out, just as planned. But if _you_ win…" the boy trailed off for a moment, glancing at his Duel Runner before turning back to Yuki, "I'll let you take it."

"What?" Yuki asked in amusement.

"Well, you said it yourself didn't you? We're tied. There's no need for the better Duelist between us to stay around here any longer than they need to. Now that I've got a Duel Runner, that you yourself helped with I might add, we can finally make our dreams possible. The only question is… which of us is going to do it?"

"Toru…" Yuki murmured, "That Duel Runner is yours. Even if I win, it wouldn't be right for me to take something that you poured your heart and soul into."

"Why are you always so stubborn?!" Toru complained, "It may be true that I poured my heart and soul into this thing, but it's pointless if I don't have the Dueling Skills needed to wield it! That's why I woke you up! You're the best Duelist I know – besides myself of course – so who better to test my resolve against? If I lose to you here, it only shows that I'm not as ready to leave Crash Town as I thought I was!"

"Toru…" Yuki murmured, his eyes glinting amidst the darkness, "…fine. I'll accept your terms, but don't expect me to hold back!"

"Heh, that's exactly why you're my rival!" Toru shouted, activating his Duel Disk, "Come on! Let's see which of us "Scrappers" deserves the title of being the best!"

Yuki too, activated his Duel Disk, raising his arm energetically as he stared down Toru forcefully. "Alright, then let's throw down! Crash Town Style!"

They both set their Decks, the gleaming light of their Gunman Duel Disks lighting up as the Duel Field materialized between them.

**-DUEL-**

**Yuki – 4000 LP**

**Toru – 4000 LP**

**TURN ONE - YUKI**

"I'll be going first, Toru!" Yuki shouted, drawing a card quickly and glancing at his hands contents, "And I'll start things off with my Marauding Captain, in Attack Mode!"

He thrust the card out into his Monster Zone forcefully, watching the dual sword wielder appear before him in a blinding light.

Marauding Captain – LV3 – (1200/400)

"Hey now, what's all this then?" Toru asked, "Don't tell me you're still using those Warrior monsters. I thought we were gonna Scrap-out like the good ol' days!"

"Oh we are!" Yuki shouted, "Because my Marauding Captain has an effect! When he's Normal Summoned to the Field, he can call out a friend of his as long as it's Level Four or lower, and my Scrap Goblin just so happens to meet those conditions, so let's give a warm welcome to this little guy, alright?!"

Again the Field lit up with grand light, a small, mechanical beast-warrior bursting into existence to stand alongside its "Captain."

Scrap Goblin – LV3 – (0/500)

"Oh? So you do have some Scrap cards in your Deck after all!" Toru grinned, "Looks like this'll be interesting then."

"Maybe," Yuki agreed, "But unlike you, I don't rely on just Scrap Monsters, I have my Deck of Warriors too, and by Tuning my Level Three Scrap Goblin with my Level Three Marauding Captain, I can bring out one of my more powerful Warriors with a Synchro Summon!"

"Ngh… already?" Toru questioned.

Scrap Goblin suddenly dispersed into several green circles, surrounding Marauding Captain and transforming him into three shining spheres. The spheres collided upon entering the circles, erupting into a grand green pillar that ripped across the Field loudly.

"_The Pillars of Earth blast outward in the wake of a new force! Reveal yourself and give birth to a new knight!_" Yuki chanted, thrusting a new card onto the Field, "_Appear now, Level Six Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth!_"

In grand fashion, the blue knight atop a similarly colored steed erupted onto the Field, bringing with him twin lances dyed blood-red. A roaring fire died behind his horse's hooves, and steadily, he gazed down toward Toru with a dark expression.

Gaia Knight – LV6 – (2600/800)

"I'll set one card, and end my Turn!" Yuki declared.

**TURN TWO – TORU**

"My move then, pal!" Toru shouted, "Draw!"

"Alright then, let's see what you've got, Toru!" Yuki shouted.

"Hmph, sorry, but with that Gaia Knight of yours already on the Field, I can't exactly start things out in a hurry! I'll set a monster… and two face-downs!"

"What? Don't tell me that's all your resolve's gotten you?" Yuki asked in surprise.

"Oh don't worry. Things will be heating up here in no time!" Toru promised, "My Turn's over, it's all you, Yuki!"

**TURN THREE – YUKI**

"My move then, and I won't be holding back!" Yuki shouted, drawing his next card. "I'll summon Rose, Warrior of Revenge in Attack Mode!"

The Field shimmered and gleamed, allowing the red-haired kunoichi to appear on the Field with a cool expression on her face.

Rose, Warrior of Revenge – LV4 – (1600/600)

"And now… I'll attack!" Yuki shouted, "Gaia Knight, take out his face-down monster!"

The Knight nodded, charging forward with great speed and piercing the cool black shielding of the face-down card with one of its lances. The card glowed for several seconds upon impact, before shattering into hundreds of yellow shards.

"Gruh… my Scrap Beast…" Toru muttered, wincing through the motion as he stared at the one other monster on the Field.

"Heh, and now that I know those face-downs of yours are harmless, I'll have Rose attack you directly!" Yuki roared.

The kunoichi nodded sadistically, leaping forward and swinging her blade down through Toru's side. Despite it being harmless Solid Vision, the boy winced upon impact, taking several small steps back while glancing at his Life Points.

"Ouch…"

**Yuki – 4000 LP**

**Toru – 2400 LP**

"Sorry, but you'll still be taking a bit more damage." Yuki grinned, "Because when Rose manages to inflict Battle Damage to you successfully, she goes ahead and inflicts another three-hundreds worth as well!"

Toru's eyes went wide as the kunoichi spun around for a second swing, this time cleaving through his torso with ease.

"Gah!" he hissed, watching the woman leap away in shock.

**Yuki – 4000 LP**

**Toru – 2100 LP**

"Grugh… not bad, but you'll have to do better than that if you wanna finish me off!"

"Yeah, yeah." Yuki nodded, "You should keep that nonsense to yourself until _after_ you've made a comeback. I'll set two cards and end my Turn!"

**TURN THREE – TORU**

"Then it's time to do just that!" Toru smirked, "My Turn, Draw!"

"Well now, let's see what you've got Toru!" Yuki grinned.

"With pleasure, and I'll start with this, my Scrap Chimera in Attack Position!" Toru shouted, thrusting the card onto his Duel Disk.

A screeching roar echoed across the wasteland as the mechanically winged beast took form, flapping its great wings over the area swiftly.

Scrap Chimera – LV4 – (1700/500)

"Oh dear…" Yuki grunted, knowing full well what was coming next.

"Oh dear is right, for you!" Toru grinned, "Scrap Chimera's effect activates! When he's thrust out into the Field like this, I can Special Summon one "Scrap" Tuner monster from my Graveyard! And since my Scrap Beast just happens to be that, it's time for him to make an encore presentation, in stereo!"

A second roar echoed across the landscape as a mechanical beast burst forth from the abyss, releasing a sharp howl before moving to stand alongside the Chimera that called it back.

Scrap Beast – LV4 – (1600/1300)

"That's eight levels…" Yuki grimaced, "It's coming!"

"You're darn right it is!" Toru laughed, "I'm tuning my Level Four Scrap Beast with my Level Four Scrap Chimera for a Synchro Summon!"

Yuki scowled, withstanding the sudden burst of wind that erupted from Toru's being as the green pillars emerged on the Field. The two "Scrap" monsters faded into obscurity as the world shifted around them, and Toru thrust his arm up to the sky while beginning to chant.

"_Metal upon Metal, Stone upon Stone! Your great might bursts forth from the forge of renewal! Appear now, and wipe away all who would deny you your right! Synchro Summon! Fly forward, Scrap Dragon!"_

Purple eyes shone out through the night, accompanied by a terrible grinding sound and plumes of smoke. Steadily, bindings of steel and scrap metal appeared piece by piece, attaching to itself in a winding fashion before revealing its full deadly appearance.

That of a dragon.

Scrap Dragon – LV8 – (2800/2000)

"Scrap Dragon…" Yuki grunted, "There's the ace."

"And you know what his appearance means for you." Toru chuckled, "Effect activate! By targeting one card I control and one card you control, Scrap Dragon can destroy both! So, by giving up my face-down Monster Reincarnation, I can destroy your Gaia Knight!"

"Oh no!" Yuki shouted.

"Oh yes, go Scrap Dragon, take him out with your Scrapstorm!" Toru shouted, pointing at the powerful knight meaningfully.

Scrap Dragon roared out, flapping its mechanical wings several times and releasing a powerful gust of wind. Beneath the great gust, both Toru's face-down Spell and Yuki's Gaia Knight were swept away, both shattering under the pressure into thousands of shining shards.

"Gah!" Yuki cried out, struggling through the wind to watch his monster disappear, "Gaia…!"

"And now, my Scrap Dragon is free to attack your Rose, Warrior of Revenge!" Toru roared, "Once more my dragon, Scrap Steel Scream!"

Again the mechanical dragon roared out, steam erupting from its exhaust pipes as it cried out toward the kunoichi angrily. The sheer sound of the monster hit frequencies that one couldn't even imagine, and Rose was helpless as she gripped her body in pain before shattering much like Gaia before her.

"Argh!" Yuki cried out, stepping back as his Life Points began to drop.

**Yuki – 2800 LP**

**Toru – 2100 LP**

"How's that for a comeback?!" Toru asked, grinning across the Field to the now defenseless Yuki eagerly.

"Ngh… not bad. But I'm not out yet!"

"Heh, we'll see… I'll set a card, and end my Turn!"

**TURN FOUR – YUKI**

"I need to make a move now… or I'm finished!" Yuki thought, "Draw!"

"Time to see if your scrapping skills are still up to par!" Toru said, "If not… then this is the end for you, Yuki!"

The boy shook his head, denying any such thing. "I don't think so Toru, because, I'm activating a Trap Card! Call of the Haunted!" he activated the one face-down he had on the Field, revealing its artwork to for all to see, "This neat little card allows me to Special Summon one monster from my Graveyard in Attack Position, and the card I'm choosing is my Rose, Warrior of Revenge!"

The red-haired kunoichi cried out as she reappeared on the Field, swinging her single blade around swiftly to cut through the mist that masked her presence.

Rose – LV4 – (1600/600)

"That ol' Tuner Monster?" Toru asked, "What good will that card do you? It's not strong enough to take on my Scrap Dragon, and next turn, my monster's effect will just send it right back to the Grave!"

"That's what you think, because I'm summoning another monster, Ebon Magician Curran!"

As he spoke, Yuki threw down the card in the Monster Zone. A small shining light burst forth through the darkness, and a small, eager magician clad in a black dress complete with bunny ears burst forth.

Ebon Magician Curran – LV2 – (1200/0)

"Y-You must be joking…" Toru deadpanned, "You had such a card in your Deck…?"

"Don't mock her, she may look small, but Curran can pack quite the punch if used correctly!" Yuki shouted, "But I'm not bringing her out for just any reason, because I'm tuning my Level Four Rose with her!"

"What? Rose… is a Tuner monster?!" Toru shouted in surprise.

"That's right, and when I combine her with my Level Two Curran, I have another six stars to make use of! So, it's time for another Synchro Summon!" Yuki shouted, throwing his arm to the sky as another set of green pillars erupted amongst the area.

"_Frozen plains beget a new beginning! With waves of light, reset the world anew! Synchro Summon! Appear now, Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier!"_

And the world turned blue.

Ice rained across the Duel Field, as a serpentine creature of shining blue emerged behind Yuki. It released a single, grand roar, before turning its attention toward the other "dragon" on the Field.

"Brionac… _Dragon_ of the Ice Barrier?" Toru questioned, "That's a new card… but it looks more like a Sea Serpent than anything else!"

"Regardless of its type, with this monster out on the Field you can say goodbye to your Scrap Dragon!" Yuki roared.

"Is that so? I fail to see how. My Scrap Dragon has more Attack Points than your Brionac, you wasted your Synchro!"

"Wrong, because Brionac comes with an effect!" Yuki explained, "Once per turn, I can discard any number of cards from my Hand to the Graveyard, and then return the same number of cards from the Field to its owner's Hand, and in the case of your Scrap Dragon… to the Extra Deck!"

"What?!"

"And since I still have one card in my Hand, I'll discard it to get rid of your monster! Go Brionac, send Scrap Dragon back to the scrapyard, with your Barrier Wall!"

Brionac roared, sheets of ice showering across the Field and dousing Scrap Dragon's body with its being. Slowly, Toru's dragon vanished behind a wall of clean ice, before shattering completely and returning to being little more than a memory.

"No!" Toru shouted, watching the last shards of ice disperse across the Field, "Scrap Dragon!"

"And now that you're once again defenseless…!" Yuki roared, "I'll end this Duel with a Direct Attack!"

"That's enough outta you!" Toru shouted, "I won't forgive you for what you did to my dragon! Try this Trap on for size, Magic Cylinder! It not only negates your Brionac's attack, but inflicts damage to you equal to the amount of its Attack Points!"

"W-What?!" Yuki shouted in surprise, reeling back as the twin containers materialized on the Field, absorbing the beam emitted from his dragon's attack and firing it back toward Yuki instead.

The boy cried out as the bright blue light overtook him, further decreasing his Life Points as Toru stood victoriously from the other side of the Field.

**Yuki – 500 LP**

**Toru – 2100 LP**

"G-Gah… I… end my Turn…!" Yuki grunted, glaring at Toru from across the Field.

**TURN FIVE – TORU**

"My move, Yuki." Toru explained, drawing a card. "And this time, there won't be a next time. I'm activating a Spell Card, Monster Reborn, to bring back my Scrap Chimera in Attack Mode!"

He threw his Spell Card out, the revival ankh appearing above the Field before dispersing and giving way to the Chimera's form. The winged beast screamed mechanically as it spread its wings once more, before galloping down beside Toru and staring toward their opponents.

Scrap Chimera – LV4 – (1700/500)

"But that's not all I'm bringing out this time!" Toru shouted, "Because I also have this! My very own Scrap Goblin!"

He threw the card down eagerly, watching the Field light up as the monster appeared. It raised is small metal head curiously, before leaning up and releasing a horrid shriek.

Scrap Goblin – LV3 – (0/500)

"And just as _yours_ was a Tuner Monster… mine is as well!" Toru roared, "Which means I can use it for a Synchro Summon! I'm tuning my Level Three Scrap Goblin with my Level Four Scrap Chimera!"

The green pillars appeared as the blonde began to chant.

"_Tossed aside like a pile of scraps, rise once more and destroy all in your path! Synchro Summon! The Machine from Hell, Scrap Archfiend!_" Toru roared, a final green pillar bursting outward and revealing a mechanical monster within.

The fiend growled out as it crashed upon the Field loudly, its red eyes gleaming sinisterly in the night. Swiftly it turned, locking eyes with Yuki's Brionac before loosing one final scream and rising to its full height.

Scrap Archfiend – LV7 – (2700/1800)

"No way… you still had another Synchro Monster to use?!" Yuki asked in surprise, taking a fearful step back.

"Heh, I've added cards to my Deck since the last time we've dueled!" Toru explained, "Like, for example, my Axe of Despair!" he shouted, throwing the Spell down onto the Field, "This Spell Card will increase my Scrap Archfiend's Attack by a thousand points, and with your Brionac only having twenty-three hundred Attack Points… my Scrap Archfiend will have more than enough power to end this Duel, _permanently_!"

Scrap Archfiend – LV7 – (3700/1800)

"_Oh no… he's right! I only have Five Hundred Life Points left!"_ Yuki thought in horror.

"I had hoped that you might be able to turn this around somehow…" Toru added, "But I guess I've just grown too much… this is the end, Yuki! Scrap Archfiend, attack his Ice Barrier Dragon, and let's end this Duel! Fiend Fire!"

Scrap Archfiend roared as it leapt forth, dragging its metallic claw across the Field and deep across Brionac's skin. The great dragon screamed in pain as it reared back and _shattered_, shards of its destroyed body showering down toward Yuki. The boy cried out as his side of the Field was littered with the beasts remains, the attack tearing through his very soul as the last of his Life Points depleted.

**Yuki – 0 LP**

**Toru – 2100 LP**

Yuki fell to his knees.

"It's… my loss, Toru."

The Field flickered and faded away, leaving Toru as the last one standing.

"So, I guess that makes me the better Duelist then, huh Yuki?" the blonde laughed, lowering his Duel Disk as it returned to its inactive state. "Looks like I was right to settle things after all. This makes it Fifty Four wins, and Fifty Three losses in my favor. I always knew I was better than you, and now the record proves it!"

"Ngh… yeah, yeah, no need to rub it in." Yuki grumbled, steadily climbing back to his feet. "You won, you're the best. Congratulations."

"Heh, well, there's no need to get all snippy about it!" Toru smirked, "You'll get your chance for a rematch soon enough, and on a much grander stage than this old wasteland!"

"Toru…" Yuki murmured.

"Ah, we'll have our rematch. One year from now, in Neo Domino City! I'll be waiting for you, for you to pull in on a Duel Runner of your own!" Toru grinned.

He turned dramatically, walking toward his Duel Runner.

"One year, Yuki. That's the amount of time I'll give you to come after me. One year, to get a Duel Runner as fast as mine, and work on your Dueling skills!"

"One year…" Yuki muttered, watching Toru walk away quietly, "Alright. It's a promise! One year from now, we'll have a rematch!"

"Heh," Toru grinned, collapsing down upon his Duel Runner's seat before giving Yuki a thumbs up, "Great! But be sure to bring your A Game! Because next time I won't be holding back!"

"Eh? What? You mean… even after all that you were just holding out on me?!" Yuki shouted in surprise.

Toru chuckled, "Of course! If I had gone all out… you would've been staring down all _three_ of my Scrap Dragons, not just one!"

"You… you little cheat! You knew I wouldn't be able to match up against you this early in the morning didn't you?!" Yuki accused loudly, "That's why you challenged me so early!"

Toru sighed as the boy began to complain, and swiftly tossed out a single card that smacked him across the face.

"Ack! Eh? What the-?" Yuki mumbled, grabbing the card softly before taking a look at it.

It was a Scrap Dragon. One of the three Toru claimed to have.

"Eh? What's with this, Toru?" Yuki asked.

"Keep it, as a memento of my departure, and a reminder of the promise we have." Toru explained, "I still have two more, so you don't have to worry about it weakening my Deck or anything. I'll be able to make do with what I have. You on the other hand… well, let's just hope that my Scrap Dragon will keep you from using anything too embarrassing like that Ebon Magician of yours!" he laughed.

Yuki had the decency to blush at the comment, but glanced at the Scrap Dragon softly.

"A memento of your departure…"

"That's right. A reminder, that even if we're far apart we're still friends!" Toru said, "Heh, who knows? Maybe I'll let you give it back to me if you beat me in a Turbo Duel. We'll have to wait for that though." Toru trailed off, glancing toward the horizon where the sun was only just starting to rise. "It's about time I got out of here."

"You're not going to say goodbye to Nico and the others?" Yuki asked curiously.

"Nah. No doubt they'd make it all teary-eyed or something!" Toru laughed, "It's better if I just left quietly… you can tell em' I'm gone. As for everything else…" the blonde shrugged, "It'll work itself out… in time."

"Huh? Toru-"

Without another word the blonde took off, leaving Yuki in the dust. He was headed for the City, and everything else?

It was time to leave it behind.

It was until his Duel Runner was far out of sight that the dust cloud it'd left behind cleared, leaving Yuki alone on the wasteland of Crash Town.

"One Year…" he whispered to himself quietly, "It's a promise!"

* * *

**Over the NeXus Prologue**

* * *

**END**


	2. The Beginning or the End? The CC Finals!

Two Fields stood across one another, their contents filled to the brim with Monsters and Face-Downs. On one side, three bubbly Marshmallon cards swayed softly on the desk, supported from the shadows by three powerful face-downs.

Two of the three cards were a brilliant Trap called Tuner's Scheme; a simple card, capable of being activated only when a Synchro Monster was Special Summoned to the opponent's side of the Field. It allowed the user to take control of the Summoned Monster, and remove it from play if, and when, it wa destroyed.

The other card?

Mirror Force.

Another Trap, well-known throughout the world of Duel Monsters. A staple, necessary in nearly every Deck as of late, capable of destroying all Attack Position Monsters one's opponent controlled when they declared an Attack. It was a powerful card, but not invincible.

Indeed. With a Field like that one would be hard pressed to grasp victory in a single turn, and yet, that was exactly what our dear protagonist, Yukichi Kaito, intended to do.

Armed with a Hand of five cards, a Gigaplant, a single face-down and a single card in his Deck, Yuki would grasp victory by lowering his opponent's Life Points to zero.

This was, after all, the purpose of a Duel Puzzle.

The ultimate solution to an impossible problem… it was something all men strived to achieve, and now, Yuki was going to accomplish it.

He glanced at the Field, spurred on by the two creators of the Puzzle before him.

Nico and West.

Despite the name, Nico was a rather smart young girl Yuki had known nearly his entire life. She was a gentle individual, one who cared little for the madness and debauchery that often took place between the two gangs that acted as if they ruled the town. It was she who was the true brain behind the puzzle, having loved designing challenges ever since she was a small girl.

However, it wasn't until her younger brother West was born that she could truly bring her many ideas to life. It was he who found many of the cards Nico used for her Puzzles, the boy having spent hours upon hours scouring the outskirts of the city for even the smallest clue of a useful card.

The two were the closest of siblings, and this fact was relayed in their Dueling. If it weren't for the fact that he _knew_ they weren't twins Yuki might've sworn that they could read each other's minds, but they got into far too many friendly arguments for that to be the case.

Still, the sight of them was always a reminder of better times.

Yuki, West, and Nico.

Along with Toru, they had made up the Crash Town Four, a childish gang with big dreams and even bigger delusions. When they were younger they had often spent their days running around Crash Town causing trouble for the elders, but not out of any ill intent. In fact, they were certain that over time many of the citizens came to appreciate their presence, their actions having always brought a bit of light into the otherwise sullen town.

Those days too had faded however, right along with Toru's presence.

It was sickening, how hard it was to move on from a single man's absence, and it was all the more reason for the three to dream of even bigger dreams.

"Yuki…" Nico said gently, breaking the boy's trailing thoughts, "This isn't… too hard of a puzzle for you, is it?"

"Huh?" Yuki asked, blinking his eyes twice as he came to his senses, "What? Ah! Sorry, Nico! I was just lost in thought. Don't worry, this Puzzle… I can definitely solve it!"

"Oh yeah?" West grinned cheekily, "Prove it Yuki! I wanna see those Dueling skills of yours put to work!"

"Heh… alright then!" Yuki grinned, gripping his cards tight, "Watch closely, because I'm about to show you a real miracle!"

**Duel Puzzle**

**Yuki – 1000 LP**

**DP – 5800 LP**

"First things first, I'll activate a card from my Hand!" Yuki explained, revealing a green card in his Hand, "Supervise! It's a Gemini Equip Card! When it's activated, the Gemini Monster it's used on will be treated as an Effect Monster, and gain all of its effects! Since the only Gemini Monster on the Field is my Gigaplant, you can guess what my Supervise is being used on, can't you?!"

He put the Spell Card on the desk softly, imagining its power channeling into the giant green plant shown within the Gigaplant card.

Gigaplant – LV6 – (2400/1200)

"Hey, that's really cool!" West smiled, watching the event unfold curiously, "What do you next, Yuki?"

"Next?" the boy asked, his spiky hair waving through the air at his movements, "Next I'm activating my Trap Card, Fine!" he reached down onto the Desk and flipped the Trap Card seated behind his Gigaplant face-up, "It allows me to discard two cards from my Hand!"

"Huh? But why do you wanna do that?!" West asked, "Isn't that just lowering the number of cards you'll have left to use?"

"Not really, because some cards have effects that can only be activated at certain times," Yuki reminded the boy with a smile, grabbing another card from his Hand, "like this Naturia Rock for example! When a Trap Card is activated, I can use this card's ability to send the top card of my Deck to the Graveyard and then Special Summon this guy from my Hand! And that's exactly what I'm about to do, so come on out, Naturia Rock!"

He paused the effect of his Fine card, sending the last card of his Deck – Cursed Fig – to the Graveyard in order to place the Level Three monster on the Field face-up.

Naturia Rock – LV3 – (1200/1200)

From across the desk, Nico smiled.

"Yuki… you really are good at these huh?" the girl asked.

"Yeah, and it's all thanks to you guys. These Puzzles of yours are great for working on my strategy!"

"Hehe, yeah, but you're not out of the woods yet!" West grinned, "You still have a lot of work to do if you're really gonna solve this Puzzle, right Nico?"

"Y-Yes… but you're doing well so far, Yuki-kun!" the girl smiled.

"Yeah, I know." Yuki said, "Now that my Naturia Rock's ability is finished, my Trap Card resolves, meaning I have to discard two cards from my Hand! I'm choosing these two, my Naturia Bamboo Shoot, and the Level One Tuner, Spore!"

He revealed the two monster cards before setting them in the Graveyard slot and turning back to the rest of the Field.

"Hmm… what's next…?"

"Uh oh… did you mess up?" West asked worriedly.

"Erm… no! I know what's next!" Yuki grinned, "Gigaplant's effect! Since it's being treated as an Effect Monster, I can Special Summon a Plant-Type monster from my Hand or Graveyard!"

"Cool!"

"You're darn right it is, because now I can bring back the Naturia Bamboo Shoot I just sent to the Graveyard!" Yuki said, grabbing the card from the Grave and placing it on the Field in face-up Attack Position.

Naturia Bamboo Shoot – LV5 – (2000/2000)

"Oh wow! Now you have three monsters on the Field!" West grinned, only for his smile to falter several seconds later, "But… you still have to worry about those Traps… and Marshmallon can't be destroyed by battle…."

"You're right… but I'll deal with both of those soon enough," Yuki smiled, "but first, I'm activating one last effect from my Hand, that of my Genex Ally Birdman!"

He revealed the WIND monster, drawing a surprised glance from West.

"H-Huh?!" the boy blinked in surprise, "What does that do?!"

"This card lets me return one face-up monster I control to the Hand to Special Summon it! I'll be using this effect to return my Naturia Bamboo Shoot back to square one!"

He grabbed the card from the Field before replacing it with the Genex Ally, smiling at the situation he'd come up with.

Genex Ally Birdman – LV3 – (1200/400)

"Why would you do that though?!" West asked, "You just traded a strong monster for a weak one!"

"Not really, because my Bamboo Shoot is about to make an encore appearance." Yuki laughed, "Remember those Traps you were worried about?" he paused, waiting for West to nod before continuing, "Well, when Bamboo Shoot is summoned by Tributing another "Naturia" monster, my opponent loses the ability to activate Spell or Trap Cards!"

"W-Whoa! It had an effect like that?!" West asked in surprise.

"I'm surprised." Nico said, "You're doing remarkably well, Yuki."

"I know, right?" the boy laughed, taking the Naturia Rock off the Field, "I'll tribute Naturia Rock to summon Naturia Bamboo Shoot in Attack Position once more!"

He placed the card back on the Field, imagining that it rose up from the Desk as it would have if they'd been using Duel Disks.

Naturia Bamboo Shoot – LV5 – (2000/2000)

"Heh, now I'm really getting into this!" Yuki shouted, "Synchro Summon!"

Nico's eyes widened, and she frowned.

"I'm Tuning my Level Three Birdman with my Level Five Bamboo Shoot to bring out this!"

He reached to the paper card in the Extra Deck, the real thing far too legendary and valuable to get a hold of.

"The ruler's heartbeat will now file through here! Take witness to its creation-shaking power! Synchro Summon! My very soul, Red Dragon Archfiend!" Yuki shouted, removing the two cards he'd spoken of to place the paper card on the Field.

Nico smiled sadly at the boy.

"Close, Yuki-kun, but you made a mistake."

"H-Huh? He did?!" West asked in surprise.

"!" Yuki's eyes widened as he realized it.

"It seems you noticed," Nico said, "Since you used Bamboo Shoot as Synchro Material, he's no longer face-up on the Field… that means I can activate my Tuner's Scheme to take Red Dragon Archfiend for myself."

"Aww man!" Yuki complained, throwing his hands up in defeat, "How did I miss that?! I was supposed to use Spore's effect there, wasn't I?"

"Yep!" Nico laughed, "Sorry, but it looks like I win this time."

"Ngh… no way! Let's go again, Nico! Make a new Puzzle!" Yuki pleaded.

"Hmm… I wonder if I should." the girl pondered, tapping her chin in mild thought.

"No way!" West frowned, "There's no time for that!"

"Huh?"

"Did you already forget, Yuki?" West asked, setting a hand on his hip thoroughly, "Today is the Final Round for that Card Shop Tournament, right?"

The Crash Town Card Tournament. It was a new event, hosted by the first Card Shop to ever open within Crash Town's boundaries. Yuki wasn't sure what kind of deal they had to strike with Malcolm and Radley to pull it off, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know either.

None of that concerned him, anyway.

What did concern him however, was the prize for winning.

A trip to Satellite alongside the – self-proclaimed – super hottie Narumi.

She was _supposedly_ the manager for the new store, but it wasn't the – self-proclaimed – super hottie's presence that had Yuki so worked up.

Satellite… it was like a gold mine for the aspiring Turbo Duelist.

Duel Runner parts of all shapes and sizes could be found within its broken walls, waiting for the right person to come along and take them for a spin. For someone like him, who had only recently begun building his own Runner, there was no better place to be.

The only problem was, Satellite was too far to consider going there just _any_ day of the week, especially with his hardened old grandfather Klaus keeping a tight eye on him. It was why Yuki was so determined to win the Tournament. If it was under the guise of accompanying a – self-proclaimed – super hottie, not even Klaus would think twice about letting him go.

Yuki reeled back in surprise as he thought of this, glancing at the small clock that lay quietly within the hideout's walls. "Oh darn! You're right! At this rate I'm really gonna be late! Darn it West, if you knew why didn't you say something earlier?!"

"I wanted to see you do a Duel Puzzle!" West whined, much to Nico's amusement.

"Okay now, let's not get all worked up shall we?" the girl mediated, "You still have time to make it, right Yuki?"

The boy sighed, grabbing his own Deck of cards and slinging them into his holster, "Yeah… luckily I left my things here in the hideout earlier!"

He snapped his belt around his waist firmly, before giving a quick nod to his two friends.

"Alright! I'm outta here! Wish me luck you two!"

The two nodded, watching him rush out the door in a hurry.

"No worries! We're sure you'll do fine!"

"We'll be cheering for you from the sidelines!"

Yuki grinned, kicking up dirt with each step he took as he raced back toward the ceiling. This was his chance. A chance to get one step forward to joining Toru in Neo Domino!

He wouldn't let it slip him by.

He didn't think it himself, but the idea was definitely there:

It was time to get his Game On.

* * *

**Over the NeXus**

**Chapter Two**

**The Beginning or the End? The Card Cup Finals!**

* * *

"Welcome everyone, to the Final Round of the Crash Town Card Cup!" a woman – dressed spectacularly as a Dark Magician Girl – said eagerly into a microphone, "We have been gathering here for the past three days, and oh what a great three days they were!"

She paused momentarily, listening to the shouts and cheers of the gathering crowd as they roared in agreement to her words. Once the noise began to die down, she raised the microphone back to her lips and continued to speak.

"Throughout this contest we have been graced by a wide array of aspiring Duelists, each and every one of them fighting tooth and nail for the chance to win this simple competition! Have we forgotten the spectacular Virgil and his lovely Fairy cards?! What of the dark, brooding Jemma and his horrific Zombies?! Yes, this Tournament was truly something to behold! Please, let us give applause to all those who risked their reputations in this conflict!"

Yet again the crowd cheered, this time for the many fallen Duelists who'd been eliminated over the past few days.

"However…" the woman continued after a brief silence, "…no matter how many Duelists were defeated in this Tournament… time moves onward, and so to, must we! Finally, after three days of good, old, Crash-Town Dueling, we have arrived at the Final Round! Finally, after picking through the pile, we have found two remarkable Duelists who are willing to stake it all in one, last battle! Please, let us give a warm welcome to our competitors!"

At the woman's shout, the crowd erupted into a storm of cheering, watching as a single Duelist rose from their midst to approach the center of the street where the Duel was to be held.

"First," the woman shouted, smiling brightly as she gestured to the approaching man, "We have our very own Bronson! From the bottom of the barrel he clawed his way to the top, armed with nothing but his team of "Wasteland Blokes!" Now, he's made it to the Final Round, but will he be able to hold out for one more victory?!"

The man waved to the crowd, a confident smile pulling at his face as he entered the Duel Circle. The crowd cheered for him loudly, the man having been one of the many favorites in the Tournament. He grinned after a moment, glancing over his cards one last time before setting them inside his Duel Disk to be shuffled.

The Dark Magician Girl cosplayer smiled at the scene, before turning back to the crowd and raising her microphone one last time.

"Next, we have another local fan favorite, hailing from Crash Town itself!"

Yuki cried out as he neared the crowd, his body drenched in sweat as he barreled into the group.

"Excuse me!" he shouted, pushing through the noisy group as he tried to make his way to the front, "Sorry! Pardon me! Trying to get through here-!"

"A young man who's worked alongside his grandfather in the mines all his life, a victory here could be the first step he needs to turning his life around! Please, let us all give another warm welcome to our very own scrapper, Yukichi Kaito!"

The boy was suddenly pushed out into the center square, breathing heavily as he keeled over to catch his breath.

"Thank goodness…" he whispered to himself quietly before glancing up at his opponent with a smile, "I made it!"

"Heh," Bronson laughed lightly at the boy's appearance, "You look beat, Kaito. You aren't gonna pass out halfway through our Duel are ya?"

"Please, call me Yuki." the boy smiled back, "And don't worry. There's no way I'm not gonna see this all the way through!"

Nico and West soon joined the crowd after he spoke, having run after him all the way from the hideout. Their faces were tinged with worry and excitement respectively.

"Yuki-kun…"

"Oh yeah!" West shouted out from the crowd, "Let's go, Yuki! Go kick that guy's butt!"

Unfortunately, their own words were drowned out by the many cheers of the circular crowd around them.

"Alrighty then!" the Duel Shop employee shouted eagerly, "It's time to find out which of these amazing Duelists will be accompanying our lovely manager to Satellite! Duelists! Raise your Duel Disks!"

Bronson and Yuki both nodded, assuming appropriate stances before raising their Disks.

"Shuffle your Decks!"

Their eyes gleamed, and their Disks shuffled their Decks mechanically before switching into Duel Mode.

"And now… get ready, get set…!"

Their stances tightened, and the crowd descended into silence.

…..

A tumbleweed rolled softly between them.

Somewhere, a petal touched the ground.

The employee dropped her hand.

"**DUEL!"**

**Yuki – 4000 LP**

**Bronson – 4000 LP**

Both Duelists drew their first five cards with wild eyes, their Duel Disks recording which one drew faster.

It was Bronson.

"Looks I'll be going first then!" the man shouted, setting his hand on top of his Deck once again, "Draw!"

**TURN ONE – BRONSON**

He glanced at his sixth card with a gentle smirk.

"Heh… not bad." he muttered, before raising it to the sky, "I'll summon a monster to start things off! Behold, my Breaker the Magical Warrior!"

He thrust the card down onto his Duel Disk in Attack Position, the device's Solid Vision giving form to the monster card.

In a flash of golden light a crimson Spellcaster armed with Sword and Shield rose from the dusty earth, harrumphing loudly as he appeared in all his glory.

Breaker the Magical Warrior – LV4 – (1600/1000)

"Of course, he won't be staying at that meager Thousand Six Hundred Attack Points!" Bronson explained with a grin, "Because my Breaker the Magical Warrior has an Effect! When he's Normal Summoned, I can place one Spell Counter on him, and he gains Three Hundred Attack Points for each one he has!"

A golden orb suddenly appeared above Breaker, before flowing into him and granting the Spellcaster even more power. He reared back as the energy flowed into him, filling him with a crimson glow that gave him more strength than he had.

Breaker the Magical Warrior – LV4 – (1900/1000)

"Hey, that's not bad." Yuki said, "Breaker the Magical Warrior huh… sounds like a pretty neat card!"

"And I have more where that came from!" Bronson added with a grin, "I'll set one card face-down, and end my Turn!"

"Alright," Yuki replied, gripping his hand tightly, "Then it sounds like it's my move…" he made to grab another card, "Draw!"

**TURN TWO – YUKI**

"I'll start by setting a monster!" Yuki shouted, throwing his Scrap Beast onto the Field in Face-Down Defense Position.

"Next, I'll be activating a Spell Card from my Hand!" he continued, taking one of the green colored cards from his grip and revealing it for all to see, "Mystical Space Typhoon! It lets me destroy one Spell or Trap on the Field, so I'll use it to get rid of that face-down on your side!"

He activated the card quickly, prompting a billowing blue cloud to sweep over the arena, releasing powerful waves of wind and bolts of lightning. Bronson and Yuki both reeled down upon feeling the waves overtake them, and a stray bolt suddenly shot down toward the Field. It smashed into Bronson's face-down loudly, erupting in a loud flash that obliterated the card completely.

Bronson winced at the sight, watching his "Unleash Your Power" vanish into the Graveyard.

"Tch… that's it for that then huh…?" he muttered, gazing back toward Yuki unamused.

"Guess so," Yuki agreed, "I'll set a face-down of my own, and then call it a Turn!"

"In that case…" Bronson grunted, "My Turn! Draw!"

**TURN THREE – BRONSON**

"I'm summoning a monster you may be a little familiar with!" the man started enthusiastically, "Marauding Captain, in Attack Position!"

The Field lit up as the dual-wielding swordsman burst forth onto the scene, swinging both of his blades about heroically before making to stand alongside the Magical Warrior.

Marauding Captain – LV3 – (1200/400)

"Ah! Uh oh!" Yuki shouted in astonishment, "You have that card too?!"

"That's right!" Bronson stated, "And all the benefits he brings as well! I'm activating his Ability! When he's Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon one Level Four or lower monster from my Hand! I'll use it to call forth my Elemental Hero Neos Alius!"

For the second time that Turn the Field glowed brightly, a starlight warrior from space descending upon the arena to "save the world." It shone brightly for several seconds, revealing its young, inexperienced gaze before flexing its muscles like its stronger counterpart.

Elemental Hero Neos Alius – LV4 – (1900/1300)

"Sorry, but I think I'll have to intervene here!" Yuki said, "Trap Activation, Bottomless Trap Hole! When you summon a monster with Fifteen Hundred or more Attack Points, I can destroy that monster and remove it from play!"

"W-What?!" Bronson cried out in surprise, reeling back at the revelation.

Just as Neos Alius touched the surface the ground beneath it tore away. The monster cried out before attempting to leap away, but a black hand grabbed it by the ankle and pulled it into the abyss, never to be seen again.

"Guh…! Neos Alius…! You'll pay for that…!" Bronson scowled, "Battle Phase!"

"Uh oh..!"

"Breaker the Magical Warrior attacks your face-down monster!"

Yuki reeled back as the Spellcaster leapt forward, driving its shining blade down into his defending Scrap Beast. The Scrap Monster roared out as it was revealed and promptly destroyed, Breaker's power to great to defend against.

"Oh no… my defense!"

Bronson chuckled, "That's right, without any monsters to protect you, my Marauding Captain is free to cut you to bits! Go, Double Slash!"

Yuki cried out as the warrior charged toward him, swinging through him with both his swords in an X-shaped fashion. The boy hissed in pain despite feeling none, the Solid Vision more than enough to push his imagination into overdrive. He keeled over and exhaled softly.

"…Ouch!"

**Yuki – 2800 LP**

**Bronson – 4000 LP**

"And there it is folks!" the employee cheered from her pedestal, "The first damage of the Duel! Bronson takes an early lead, is this the beginning of the end for Yukichi Kaito?!"

"Oh no… Yuki!" Nico whispered worriedly, clasping her hands together tightly.

"Aww, what are you doing man?!" West complained, "You need to pull ahead of him somehow!"

Once again, their shouts were lost in the cheers and jeers of the crowd. Everyone was pushing for their man, there was no way they'd be heard in all the shouts.

Back on the Field, Bronson chuckled. "Heh, an early lead they say. Don't be ridiculous. This Duel is far from over, isn't that right, Yukichi?"

"Yeah," the boy agreed, "You can't ever give up till the last card is played."

"In that case, you better start drawing," Bronson smiled, "because my Turn is over!"

"…Heh, don't worry…" Yuki laughed with a smile, "my Deck never disappoints! My Turn, Draw!"

**TURN FOUR – YUKI**

"_Time to take a card out of your playbook, Toru!"_ Yuki thought as he glanced at the latest card he drew.

"I'm summoning a monster, Scrap Chimera!" the boy shouted.

In golden light the beast appeared, its metallic visage promising pain to all who opposed it. Slowly, it spread its scrap-iron wings, and took to the Field.

Scrap Chimera – LV4 – (1700/500)

"Scrap Chimera?" Bronson asked, gazing at its stats, "Not a bad card, but it's not strong enough to defeat my Breaker the Magical Warrior."

"On its own you'd be right," Yuki agreed, glancing at his monster with a smile, "but Scrap Chimera is never on its own for long, especially not when I can use its Effect!"

"Effect?!" Bronson asked worriedly.

"That's right!" Yuki smiled, "When Scrap Chimera is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon one "Scrap" Tuner Monster from my Graveyard!"

"What? But the only monster in your Graveyard is…" Bronson trailed off, "Scrap… Beast…" his eyes widened, "Ah! Don't tell me-!"

"Ding Ding Ding!" Yuki laughed eagerly, "You've got it! My Scrap Beast is a Tuner Monster, which means… my Scrap Chimera can revive him right now!"

Scrap Chimera reared back on its hind legs and screamed, its shattering roar prompting the Scrap Monster in the Graveyard to return to life. With a roar of its own Scrap Beast appeared on the Field in a golden light, moving to stand beside Scrap Chimera powerfully and gaze upon their mutual foes.

Scrap Beast – LV4 – (1600/1300)

"Two Level Four Monsters…" Bronson cursed, "…and one of them is a Tuner…!"

"Looks like you know what's coming!" Yuki chuckled, "Good, because it wouldn't do for you to be surprised! I'm Tuning my Level Four Scrap Beast with my Level Four Scrap Chimera!"

Scrap Beast suddenly leapt forward, its body bursting into four green pillars that drew Scrap Chimera inside. Upon reaching the middle, Scrap Chimera too vanished from existence, instead taking the form of four shining lights that gathered inside each circle. They soon erupted into a green pillar of light, the same pillar that appeared for all ordinary Synchro Summons.

"The winds of recycling blow anew!" Yuki began to chant, throwing his arm to the sky as he spoke, "Be born from the waste pile now! Synchro Summon! Make one from two, Scrap Dragon!"

A metallic roar echoed across the landscape as Yuki finished his chant, the green pillar he'd created fading away to give form to a great metal monster of purple design. Steam and smoke roared out from its many exhaust pipes, its purple eyes and worn body revealing what appeared to be a dragon composed of scraps.

It spread its wings and hovered behind Yuki softly.

Scrap Dragon – LV8 – (2800/2000)

"Hey!" West shouted in surprise, "That's Toru's card, isn't it?!"

"Yeah… he must have given it to Yuki before he left." Nico thought aloud with a smile, "Amazing… with this, maybe he can win!"

"Maybe…!" West cheered, "It looks like we're about to find out!"

"Heh, amazing…" Bronson laughed, "…to think you had something like this packed away… I wasn't expecting you to have anything more than those Lightning Warriors you'd been using in the earlier rounds."

"It's not good to show all your cards right off the bat, Bronson!" Yuki grinned, "But now… it's time to stop playing around!"

"Yeah." Bronson agreed, clenching his fist, "Only one of us is gonna be going to Satellite, and it's only going to be the one who wants it most!"

"Get ready, Bronson…!" Yuki shouted, throwing his fist forward, "Because from here on out… I'm going all out!"

* * *

**Over the NeXus**

**Chapter Two**

* * *

**END**


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